Today is the International Women’s Day and we are proud to introduce you to a young but not immature youth, who has devoted herself to the acts of social work. She is not someone from a big city but she is from a small village of Dharamshala, in district Kangra, but has made her mark internationally.
She was awarded by the BBC WORLD SERVICE TRUST as a “Youth Star” of the country for her work in HIV/AIDS awareness among the rural youth and women. She also represented India as a youth delegate to China in 2006. She has acclaimed many awards on state and national level including Best Youth Awards, Best Cadet Award, Best Cultural Activist and many more.
After reading so much about her let me end your curiosity and welcome Miss Sarika Katoch!
Disha Singh: Who is Sarika Katoch in flesh and blood, and how did the rendezvous as a social worker began?
Sarika Katoch: I am a 25 year old youth activist, artist and anchor belongs to a rural orthodox family. My father was Ex-serviceman in army, he passed away when I was studying in LKG. My mother is a housewife and elder brother is engaged in social upliftment of youth and childern. We have seen many facet of life. I did my graduation from Govt. Degree College, Dharamshala. Now pursuing Masters in Rural Development from IGNOU. Since my school days I had been so keen in social, cultural and extra curriculum activities. I can’t mark that from where I started social working, but N.C.C. and more than that field work experiences in Nehru Yuva Kendra as a National Service Volunteer has changed the direction of my life and career from dreaming as an army officer to Youth Activist.
Disha: What motivates you to keep moving?
Sarika: My God, Myself, my family and obstacles in my way. Actually I believe that if you are able to motivate yourself you can change anything.
Disha: You have taken up a very challenging and important awareness campaign i.e. HIV/AIDS. What social personal issues you face related to AIDS awareness?
Sarika: Well in my very starting days when I started voluntarily talking to the people on the epidemic, their first reactions were Simply NO to Listen on Dirty issues. I am a girl from rural area and orthodox family, so sometimes things were taken in negative ways, but today I realise that there is nothing like they dont want to listen, but the thing is ‘How do you Communicate?’ But these were challenges and I enjoyed it and still enjoying by taking it.
Disha: What do you think are some of the issues we should be concerned with when dealing with the youth?
Sarika: Unemployment, generation gap, lack of qualitative educational options and many more.
Disha: How should Himachal approach addictions, drug-use, and alcohol abuse, from the perspective of social services and counseling?
Sarika: Life skill trainings, better career prospectives, strong moral values, special initiative should be taken in rehabilitating such people who are addicted. Family counselling and of course need of strong will of policy makers to eliminate the problem.
Disha: How does it feel to receive ‘Youth Star’ Award by the BBC World Service Trust?
Sarika: Unforgetable, I should confess that before this honour sometimes I doubted that “Have I Chosen the Right way? will this be helpful to our people? Will this be fruitful in anyways? It was a serious task for me but never thought that it’ll get importance from others and on such a high level.
Disha: In your opinion what are the main issues concerned with women empowerment in Himachal.
Sarika: Dowry and Female foeticide let us live our life and other difficulties of life we’ll look after ourself.
Disha: How should we get around to involving the rest of the community in social work?
Sarika: If we look back at our culture I am talking about villages, in old days there were some common fixed (as cleaning up of ponds, repairing unmetalled ways as kualoo, gor etc.) tasks which were to be completed and contributed by the villagers at their own level on volunteer basis. These were the forms of social work. One dont need any degree or experience to serve community only ‘Will’ works. We’ll have to re-establish those healthy trends again.
Disha: If someone wishes to help you for this good cause, how can they join hands with you?
Sarika: By telling me, after that many ways to help will be open automatically. But important thing is that One wishes only or willing also?
Disha: What are your future plans?
Sarika: Right now I am nominated as Regional Youth Caucus Member (Representative India) for Commonwealth Youth Program and Deputy Chair for Commonwealth Youth Program, Asia Region. Though, I’ll have to see other youth issues too but HIV/AIDS and Female Foeticide issues will be my priority.
Disha: Finally, can we have your message for the people of Himachal?
Sarika: We are one of the luckiest people on the earth by having such a beautiful state/motherland, take the responsibility of development of your state and our own people of devbhoomi.
Raised in Shimla and originally from Mandi district, Disha wears many caps which includes being part of a lead team of a fast growing IT company based out of Chandigarh. Earlier Disha was associated with My Himachal and visits Shimla regularly.
Hats off to you Sarika ! You really did a commendable job and you deserve some more big accolades for the area you have chosen. We all know that in our society a women is not supposed to talk and discuss a subject like HIV and AIDS. I’ll be among front runners with you for this social cause . Keep it up !
Regards,
RAJAN DIXIT
Commendable job indeed!!!
She deserves it!!!
A salute to this youth star.
Keep it Up!
A great service to the society…
sarika, u r really doing well, i appericiate ur will and efforts for commendable job. in such a short span of ur life you have taken such a big responsibility in the arena of social awaireness to combat against an epidemic which has b!com havoc for human life, ITS STARTING, KEEP MOVE ON…………..hundereds of hands r ready to join you|
salutes are not enough! we need to stranghthen her and need to stay upright with her in every moment and take the responcibility too just as she had done!
thanks sarika for inspiring me!!
Sarika is a dear friend and inspires nearly every aspect of my life; she is so strong, courageous and intelligent. I cant think of a better person to represent the face of india to the world. My congratulations dost.
sarika is one of the finest Youth Leaders of Nehru yuva kendra sangathan( NYKS) which is the largest Community based organization of Govt of India. im proud of her achievements. i hope her success will inspire more such youngsters in remote rural and tribal area. im sure that she has potential to do much more and this is just a beginning. sarika and her team of friends is also doing commendable work in preserving and promoting Himachal’s traditional arts and culture. they are also running a successfull project on making papermache product from waste material and also promoting village tourism in Himachal. i wish her all success.
Difficult to live without designation-A true spirit of beurocrates. HAHA!
she had made a change and it had come thru a lot of pain…..deserve but after you have dared.
thanks Sarika for what you had given to the society.
Hi Sarika
Well done and hats off to you. It is indeed a great service to all those who are suffering. Words are not enough to appreciate your hard and dedicated work. All the best of luck and keep it up.
Regards
Navin katoch
Namaste.
Congratulations are certainly in order to Ms. Sarika Katoch for receipt of her award from the BBC World Service Trust. I have every confidence that she will use the prestige and media coverage associated with the BBC’s award to further the many worthwhile endeavors to which she has committed herself. To those of us who know her, Ms. Katoch’s star has already risen and shines most brightly!
Warmly,
Marshall J. Krinitz
Namaste.
Congratulations are certainly in order to Ms. Sarika Katoch for receipt of her award from the BBC World Service Trust. I have every confidence that she will use the prestige and media coverage associated with the BBC’s award to further the many worthwhile endeavors to which she has committed herself. To those who know her Ms. Katoch’s star has already risen!
Warmly,
Marshall J. Krinitz
Founder, The MoreThan Tomorrow Project
“Education is the key to opening the door of life.”
Visit us on the web: http://www.morethantomorrow.org
My Salutation to you my dear sister Sarika, You r not only Star , You r actually human beings with ur Humanity and ur work for society , We motivate and appreciate your work and God save u for the humanity , i hope ur name is not only written in India land but all over the world’s lands
Your friend,
Amira
Good Luck
A great efforts to ellimenate Aids from community.
Thanks
everyone must join you to keep awarness in society and make India and Himachal proud.
My Salutation to Sarika, You r not only Star ,( I was your classmate in 11th but after that started to get involved myself in many anti scial activities but now I’ve relised the main Aim of a human being in the universe. I am proud not of you but I proud myself because I was your classmate and moreover I am from Gharoh. You are actually human beings with ur Humanity and ur work for society , We motivate and appreciate your work. I hope ur name is not only written in India land but all over the world’s
Your friend
best wishes for your achievements
keep it up
I would appreciate your motto is “Take the ‘responsibility’ and you will automatically get the ‘right’.
i m 34 hiv + i m looking for hiv+ from himachal as my native place is in himachal kangra.i stay in mumbaii do buissness.my bhabhi is also from sujanpur.pls see if u can help me .my contact number is 9820816797 or 25532484
hi you are really doing good work in the himachal . i am a dj and all my life i have just being doing party and making people high but now i have realised that all this is just a waste of time and making others waste their life on alcohol i want to start a new life and help people
and bring them back to life please involve me in the good work what you are doing i am ready to devote my self and see god in my work
I am really more than impressed. She is outstanding, but i think its our responsibility to join our hands with her for the noble cause. i have also seen the website of commonwealth ( http://www.thecommonwealth.org/youthcaucus/asiaregion ) from where I got her contact details. and soon I wish to be her for this noble deed. Any one can reach her Mr. Philip its all depend upon your will as she said.
Its really an appreciating and a proud feeling that an innocent girl from our DEVBHOOMI Himachal has been awarded at an international level.
You have set an example that a talented person is like a shining star in the sky, it can shine anywhere. One can see it. It does not believe in states and borders.
All the best for your bright future.
Kudos to Sarika on her achievement. Since, I am Katoch, Sarika automatically becomes my younger sister.
I am happy, someone despite so many hardships in her early days of life, is making mark for her internationally. Again good luck!
Regards,
Rajinder Katoch
Dear Sarika ,
Its great to be A Great and its nice feeling you are in the greats .But its not the Zenith you deserve you have to go long ….
Ever yours ,
Raju
Hi Sarika,u really did the best part of your life as u have made the full utilization of your life by being making yourself a part of this association,our best wishes are always with you…..well done,keep it up,you have really brightened Jhikkar’s name and brought its name to one of the leading association,really feeling proud to be one of your family member……dimpy
wut a great job mam . please give us honour to meet u . we r proud of u
Yes,Sarika you are really a role model and you deserve more than what you are now. You have the potentials which I have never seen in any women and you can win the ways you you walk. I have always special respects for you. Please move on with more works and challenging responsibilities.People are always with good works.Keep on with more social issues. I am proud for your challnging decision to be an international social activist.
We are really proud of you.Congratulations for your winning achievements
sarika, I am proud of you. I do appericiate for such a commendable work you are engaged in. you responsibility in the arena of social awaireness to epidemic such as HIV is a way to go. Kep it up.
Sincerly,
Mulkhraj Sharma
USA
Congratulations all the way…………………..I am very very proud of you………keep up the good work and the rest will automatically follow………Ur story is inspiring and motivating indeed…………….!!!!!!
i was very happy to know about your acheivements and the social work u r doing i my self am katoch from sulah ,it is like a crown to katoch community
Welldone Sarika,You are really moving the right directions.Weave in faith and God will find the thread.God does not require us to succeed, he only asks us to try.Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.Your simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.When dealing with people, remember you are not dealing with creatures of logic, but with creatures of emotion, creatures bristling with prejudice and motivated by pride and vanity.People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret of success.”
Dear Sarika,
You have been in the world of good things.Do not be diverted by evil bodies.The entire world has seen you as a star of youth.Please do not go back. I am with you.
DILLIP
Hello ,Dear Sarika.
” God Bless you!
We are all impress seeing and reading about your hard dedicated work. Great work done by great poeple.Wish you all the best . India is a great country and over top of this Himachal is Dev bhumi ,full of wonderland,great people.We need women,who can make a differents to-day life.
Wish you all the best.
it’s a achievement in life work for humanity.
JAI HIND
Dear sarika,
I miss you yaar.when shall we meet again?
Dear Ms Sarika, I would like to contact you.
I belong to Dharmsala & have retired from IAF.
rgds
I m proud of u sarika u r a gem